The New Mexico Activities Association board of directors named Sally Marquez as its new executive director.
Marquez, a longtime associate director at the NMAA, was picked out of a pool of five finalists for the position. Marquez worked for eight years under Gary Tripp, who left the position in early August.
The board of directors of the NMAA, which governs most interscholastic sports in New Mexico, announced that Marquez will take over the position immediately. She will be paid a salary of $125,000 as head of the association.
With the announcement, Marquez becomes the sixth top official in NMAA history and is one of only three women to hold similar positions in the country.
Marquez graduated from Manzano High School in Albuquerque. She earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of New Mexico and a master’s degree at Virginia Tech. She worked with Tripp at Rio Rancho High School from 1998-2004.